


Word on the Street

by VioletTeaTime



Category: Glee
Genre: Coming Out, M/M, Season/Series 03, Self-Discovery, Sexuality Crisis, au where will and emma were never together, set around season three, we love and support klaine in this household, you can REALLY see that blaine and santana are my favs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23707585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletTeaTime/pseuds/VioletTeaTime
Summary: Will had never thought about a relationship, not after Terri. He threw himself into his work, and taking care of the kids. That was, until someone walked into his life.-Will realizes something about himself, and works to accept it.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Will Schuester/Original Male Character(s), minor Santana Lopex/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Word on the Street

**Author's Note:**

> look no one else writes mlm will schuester so i will
> 
> i'm not american so idk how clubs work at american schools? it seems like glee is a class while also being a club, so i've kinda rewritten it so theyre a lunchtime/after hours club, the way we do here
> 
> i do wanna say that i watched all of glee really recently but it was for the first time so idk if i missed some stuff? i also dont know why i wrote this about will because he doesnt deserve rights but whatever

It had started out innocent enough. Will had started to patrol the show club forums and blogs online after Blaine spoke about teams he had never even heard of, and he was really getting a kick out of it. There was a Facebook page for the coaches of teams, with them asking questions about costumes or props, sharing tips or tricks, even encouraging other teams or posting videos of their performances. Will had joined a while ago, and with the help of Artie, he had begun to share some of New Directions' weekly assignments - just the small ones, so the opposing teams couldn't get a leg up on him.

He had become friends with one of the coaches from Indiana, who had a team three times his size with only half the budget, and a coach from Florida, whose team almost exclusively contained teenagers who wanted to become performers at Disney World. The person that stuck out to him, however, was a coach from Michigan. Will had commented on a video of the other coach's students setting up a unique stage, with instructions on how to do it. The man, Neil, had commented back, and for the last two months, they had been Facebook friends, had been following each other on Instagram, and started to Skype every couple of days.

Will didn't understand why his chest felt so heavy when he picked up his phone to a message from Neil, or the happy feeling that washed over him when Neil and him stayed on Skype for hours, talking about just about everything. He had gone to the doctor a while ago, and his blood work came back normal. 

-

Will smiled down at his phone as the students rolled in, chattering excitedly about the assignment of the week. The previous day, Will had put the word 'secrets' on the board, without any explanation, and the students got to working right away. 

**Neil**

_sue sounds like the devil_ [11:03]

 _or like a cat_ [11:04]

 _maybe try to spray her with water_ [11:04]

 _I'm pretty sure she'd find a way to call that assault._ [11:05]

 _I like your style though._ [11:05]

Santana whistled from her seat, a raised eyebrow stuck on her face.

"Mr. Shue, are we going to get the ball rolling here or what? Not that I don't love to sit here and smell whatever God awful concoction Tina is eating-" the Asian girl looked down at her bibimbap dejectedly "- but I'm ready to sing." Will slid his elbows off of the piano.

"Alright, Santana, you have the floor."

"Britt, Mike, mind helping me out with this one?" The two joined her, joining her for the dance portion of Bubblegum Bitch by Marina. Will could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket during the performance, and he couldn't believe himself- he wished it was over so he could respond to Neil. The rest of the group seemed to be getting into the song with Finn drumming his fingers on the plastic chair in front of him, and Mercedes and Sam doing a little dance, the legs of their chairs leaving the ground every few seconds. He caught Rachel bobbing her head, which was probably the most he had ever seen the girl do for one of Santana's performances. He stood up to clap at the end.

"Alright, good job girls and Mike!" As he started walking back to the center of the classroom, Rachel's hand flung into the air, her arm as straight as an arrow.

"Yes, Rachel?"

"Well, first of all I think Santana's choice of song was _highly inappropriate_ , and secondly, we all know Santana is a bitch, so she's not really sharing a secret." The girl stuck her nose up to Santana, who stood up abruptly.

"You better stop pointing your beak at me, Berry, or I _will_ go all Lima Heights on your ass." She took a step towards her direction, but Kurt shoved her shoulder, and she sat back in her seat. "Besides, Mr. Shue barely told us what this performance was actually about." Santana gave him a pointed look. Will sighed.

"The point of this week's lesson is to explore what a secret means to you. It can be something literal, like finding out something or telling someone something you didn't before, but it can also be something fun and simple, like singing a song no one knows you like, or showing off something you don't normally do, like Quinn's ballet yesterday. Regardless, Santana did a really good job, even if you don't think the performance was deep enough, Rachel." The brunette gave a small 'hmph' sound, and Finn reached over to pat her back. 

"Does anyone else have their song prepared?" He watched as his students looked around, Blaine and Kurt shaking their heads at each other, each of them holding sheet music. Artie fiddled with his wheels as Tina and Quinn spoke. Mercedes and Rachel each had an earbud in, and the rest of the boys seemed to be heading over to their instruments to practice. Rachel flipped through sheet after sheet of music in the binder she regularly brought with her, filled with music she had illegally downloaded online. 

-

The Glee Club would meet up most days for lunch, and some days after school, and Will was almost relieved that he had the night off. He had a stack of quizzes that was piling up on his living room table, and an unopened bottle of Chardonnay in the fridge to get him through it. He walked out of the school only a few minutes after the bell rung, and smiled as he watched his students.

The kids in the club were all so different, and even without needing to be together, they usually were. It astounded Will that more kids didn't try out for the glee club, as it was one of the only real safe spaces at the school. Sam, Mercedes, and Puck walked together, Sam's hands flying about as he spoke, and even though Will was far away from them, he could hear Mercedes' hearty laughs. Blaine, Kurt, Rachel, and Finn were just in front of Finn's car, the three seniors comparing papers from a class. Will could feel Blaine's eyes on him from across the parking lot, but he ducked into his car anyway. 

-

The microphone crackled with life, his laptop screen's brightness turned all the way up to show Neil as well as possible. They each had work to mark, Neil being an English teacher as well as coaching his glee club. They both probably could have been done marking hours ago if it wasn't for the video call.

"No, Will, you don't understand. I'm thirty five years old and I have _never_ been so scandalized in my life! I'm just going to throw my glasses in the fire!" Neil was leaning forward towards the screen, and Will laughed, taking in his worried appearance.

"There's no way it was that bad."

"I'm scarred for life, man. I don't get why... why at school? Why _during_ rehearsal?" 

"Teenager hormones?" 

Neil let out a long whine, and Will chuckled. He passed his last marked test on the pile, and took a sip from the bottle in front of him. Neil sat back a little, smiling at the screen.

"So, you do all those weekly lessons with your students, right? What's this week's?" 

"Oh, it's uh, secrets. I thought maybe it would get the kids communicating more. For such a small group, they can still be a little cliquey sometimes." Neil shrugged, taking a drink from his mug. Will's eyebrows creased.

"What does your mug say?"

"Oh-" he pushed it closer to the camera "it says 'tears of my students', one of the boys who graduated last year got it for me." Will chuckled, and Neil put it down.

"So, Schuester, if you're going to expect your students to tell some secrets, you'd better pay up in return. What's your juicy, juicy secret?" Neil waggled his eyebrows, and Will's chest fluttered.

"Y'know, I don't think I have any."

-

Sometimes it felt as though Will didn't teach his classes. His students so rarely paid any attention in American History in his second period slot, and third period World History was even worse, with almost all of the course work being essays or reading, he didn't establish any connection with the students. That's why the Glee Club was so important to him. He had begun to leave the door open, just a little bit, so the students who arrived before him could get in, or students who needed a space during a spare period or a difficult class would have somewhere to go. 

He approached the room to the door wide open, students milling about. Finn and Puck were talking by the drum set, obviously waiting for Sam to join them. Quinn waited alone, arms crossed over her chest as she scrolled through her phone, trying to ignore Rachel's stone look at her. Blaine sat at the piano, pushing down the keys as he read the sheet music in front of him, Kurt's arms wrapped over his shoulders as he hummed the lyrics.

"Alright, hey everyone!" Will's heart warmed as he got an echo of hellos, the kids all migrating towards the chairs. He always tried to let them have a portion of the regrettably short lunch period to actually eat, but often, the kids would get too hyped up to wait until after school ended to perform. He couldn't complain at their enthusiasm. Will took out his sandwich, letting the rest of the students come in.

After a few minutes, everyone seemed settled, and Will stood up, brushing the crumbs off of his lap. Some of the kids looked jittery, and others were ignoring eye contact, obviously not ready to perform. He just wished after three years, they would be comfortable enough to tell him when they weren't confident in their performances yet. 

"Alright everyone, so we do have the auditorium booked after hours today, I just wanted to get an idea of what everyone will be performing." A few hands flung up.

"Rachel?"

"I'll be performing my rendition of Belief by Alexander Sage Oyen, it's a song about not knowing if you're good enough to be remembered and well... I know I am, but sometimes, I doubt myself." Will nodded, surprised by Rachel's honesty.

"That sounds like a really good choice, Rachel. Quinn, Tina, I've seen you two talking." Quinn nodded, smiling at the Korean girl next to her.

"We'll be doing My Own Best Friend from Chicago."

"Any reason why?"

Tina answered,"We're both bitches and rely on ourselves." The group turned to look at her, and she sighed.

"What? It's true!"

"Okay, uh, very good, guys. What about you, Blaine?" The dark haired boy cleared his throat, and Kurt looked at him with soft eyes.

"Uh, we'll be doing Best Kept Secret from Bare. I know we're both out and never hid our relationship, but some of the feelings the characters have hits pretty close to home." Kurt took his hand and kissed the back of it, adding on.

"It's also not that easy to find a gay duet."

Will nodded, and looked around the rest of the group to look for eager hands. The three boys who played instruments had told him they were doing I Don't Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore by The Mezzingers, at Puck's request, and he wasn't going to push too hard for anyone to come forward with a song, especially on a week where the theme was almost serious. The group slowly dissolved into work again, and Will took the moment to slip into his office, pulling up the Broadway World website. He had never really thought of it before, but theatre had a strong association with being gay, and yet Kurt was right, he couldn't name more than a handful of gay duets. 

He found a similar thread on the website, citing songs from Bare, March of the Falsettos, and Falsettoland, but not much else. It made him sad, in a weird way, to think that he would have a very small chance of ever getting to sing a love song to another man in a local theatre show. Will closed the browser before freezing.

He didn't understand why he would be sad about that. He had sung a lot of love songs to Terri over the years, even if she never sang back. Maybe it was just that, he had seen Blaine break out into song time after time again, with just about any song under the stars, and Kurt never failed to join him in perfect harmony. It wasn't that he wanted to sing a love song with a man, it was that he wanted someone to sing a love song with. Still, he couldn't explain the pull in his chest when he saw Kurt and Blaine sitting in plastic chairs, singing to each other when he left his office.

-

Will was always happy to arrive at the auditorium doors to a group of students eagerly waiting outside the locked doors. They parted like the Red Sea, allowing him just enough space to unlock the doors before running in, as though they owned the place. He guessed with April's contribution to the Glee club, they did. 

"Mr. Shue, Mr. Shue! Can I go first? I'm warmed up and everything!" Rachel waved her hand in the air as Kurt and Blaine walked past her, going backstage. Will laughed and nodded, taking his seat in the second row. Students crowded him from all sides, and as Rachel walked up to the microphone, conviently already set up, the two boys walked out from back stage, dropping their few props just at the side of it. They took the seats right behind him as the band set up, and the whole crowd of them, however small, seemed to buzz with life. As did Will's phone.

**Neil**

_hope you have fun with your student's mini performances today!_ [3:34]

 _are you going to have Arnie record them for the Facebook_ [3:34]

 _It's Artie. And no, these are pretty private performances, I think._ [3:35]

 _I could, however, put you on skype so you could watch them?_ [3:35]

**Neil**

_how very scandalous of you... if they're private why do i get to see them :)_ [3:36]

 _Because I trust you._ [3:36]

He opened up his Skype app and clicked on Neil's number. He smiled as it rang twice before showing the blurry face of the other teacher, behind the desk in his classroom.

"Hey guys, come say hi to Mr. Roth. He's coaching his Glee club for the first time, and loves seeing other groups perform!" Will held his phone as far away as he could, his students crowding around even closer to say hello, squishing themselves to get everyone in frame.

"What? Mr. Shue, I didn't know you were showing anyone!" Rachel whined into the microphone, which gave a squeal resonating throughout the auditorium. Neil chuckled on the screen, and some of the kids moved back, so only Tina, Kurt, and Blaine were all on screen. Figures that the biggest gossips of the glee club wanted to be included. 

"I'm assuming that's Rachel? Tell her she'll do great!" Neil slid in a pair of earbuds, attaching the plug into his laptop.

"It's fine, Rachel! Go ahead and start!" Will flipped the camera on the phone so Neil could see the stage. The performance seemed to grow around her, her voice becoming more and more intense as the song carried on. Some of the notes she held Will would have had her riff, but that was never her style. Mercedes and her would have done this as a fantastic duet, if Rachel could give up just a little bit of her spotlight. 

The audience exploded into cheers, all of them standing up for her. Neil clapped on his side of the screen too, the tinny sound only heard by the people closest to Will. Rachel took her quick bow before scampering towards Finn's side, who dropped a kiss onto her forehead. Will smiled at them, and then down at the screen. 

"Hey, put me on with Rachel for a second." Neil had a loose grin on his face, the one he had on when Will and him would speak about high school or their childhoods. He willingly passed the phone over to the girl, who took a couple steps away to speak to him. She laughed a few times, and kept thanking him, over and over. Will let his eyes stray back to the stage, where Blaine and Kurt were laying out a large carpet on the floor, and had pulled out a few shorter stools to sing on. The boys kept pointing at the back of the theatre, bickering as they tried to line everything up center stage. Eventually, Blaine got his way, and Kurt marched over to him with a scrunched up nose. Will looked away as they kissed, heat rising to his ears. 

-

Neil had logged out of Skype after Rachel's performance, saying that his club was starting at four that day, but he thanked Will for allowing him to watch. The club yelled their collective goodbye, and it was on to the next song. Will felt entranced by the song, how the boys could go from so loving to bickering, never once taking their eyes off of each other. The song rose with their voices, and the way they sung through the fight, each word perfectly pronounced was a feat of its own. Despite the ending, with only one of their characters giving his 'I love you', the two boys shared a short, sweet kiss as the music faded away, and the applause filled the room. 

Will clapped with the club, watching as Blaine helped Kurt off of the ground, giving him a short embrace before they started to clean up the stage for Mercedes. Will let out a deep sigh, the phone in his pocket seeming to weigh him down.

-

The next Monday came quickly, and with an excited buzz in the air, Will wrote a single word on the board. _Invitationals_. He had no clue how he managed to get permission to hold invitations at McKinley in only two weeks time, but he was absolutely ecstatic. Behind him, the class whooped.

"That's right! This year, McKinley high will be holding winter invitationals! This year, we have The Dalton Warblers-" Blaine let out a little sound from the back of his throat, fist pumping in the air. Kurt sighed and pulled his hand down. "-Vocal Adrenaline, Aural Intensity, and The Starlights." Before Will could get another word in, Rachel's hand flung into the air once more. He sighed.

"Yes, Rachel?"

"Who are The Starlights? We've never competed against them." She looked around the room, met with vacant looks and Mike with earbuds on, swaying in the back of the room. Blaine leaned forward in his chair.

"I read all the show choir blogs and I've never heard of them either. Is it a name change or something to fool the competition?" Will put his hands up.

"No, no, they're a new team from Michigan who has agreed to make the two hour trip down from Ann Arbor. They haven't performed for any other groups before, and their coach wants to have them see other teams before sectionals." 

"Woah, Mr. Shue are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, what if they're like, really good!" Finn's voice boomed throughout the room, and Will watched with a flat expression as his students agreed with each other.

"No, guys, it'll be fine. I know the coach, he's just a little nervous for his team. It'll be an opportunity for them to perform in front of an audience and for you guys to do the same." 

"You're right, we just have to prove that's we're better than they are." Quinn stood up from her chair, sliding down the line to sit next to Santana, whispering in her ear. 

Will clapped his hands together, "alright, the assignment this week is to get together in small groups and pick out some pieces to perform next Friday. I was thinking a duet and two ensemble pieces, but you all always surprise me." 

-

Lunch was different since his friendship with Neil had begun. He still regularly sat with Shannon and Emma when the club wasn't meeting up, but now he spent his time looking down at the messenger app on his phone resting in his lap, barely picking at the meal he had picked up at 7-11 before classes started. Emma was always on him about packing his own lunch, because it was cleaner, but he had stayed up late the night before, Neil having mailed him a copy of Dead Poet's Society, saying he had to watch it the second he got the DVD. It was good enough that Will had no regrets about his loss of sleep, and the snacks that Neil had included in the package had made things even better.

In return, he had sent Neil a burnt DVD copy of Singin' in the Rain, as well as a few pastries from the Lima Bean, sending them in Tupperware with FedEx so they could still be fresh. The two men had spent hours on the phone after they watched the movies, a mix of comfortable silence and actual conversation that had lasted until the wee hours of the morning, when Will had fallen asleep. 

Shannon was halfway through her chicken when she finally pointed out his distraction, never one to beat around the bush.

"Alright, Willy, who've you been texting?" He looked up, locking his phone.

"What do you mean? No one."

"Yeah, that explains why you never talk anymore and are always making little faces at your lap." She scoffed, throwing back another peeled off piece of meat. Will shook his head, trying to make sure that his chuckle sounded genuine.

"It's just a choir coach that needs some help." That piqued Emma's interest, and she placed the grape she was cleaning onto the lid of her Tupperware.

"Ooo, she needs some help, does she?" She wiggled her shoulders sightly, her gloves wrinkling in protest as she moved about.

"No, it's nothing like that. _He's_ just a first year coach from Michigan I've been talking to. His team is coming to the invitational next week, and he's freaking out about costumes. I guess his team has never used them before." Emma let out a soft sigh, going back to her grapes. Will unlocked his phone again

**Neil**

_i'm not saying it wasn't good,,,, i'm just saying that there are so many other good musical movies_ [11:18]

 _sweeny todd_ [11:18]

 _mama mia!_ [11:18]

 _dream girls_ [11:19]

 _grease_ [11:19]

 _west side story_ [11:19]

 _cabaret_ [11:19]

 _little shop of horrors_ [11:20]

 _moulin rouge_ [11:20]

 _mary poppins_ [11:20]

 _I get it._ [11:20]

**Neil**

_guys and dolls_ [11:21]

 _lol ik its your fave movie but you need to raise your standards_ [11:22]

 _It just has a lot of memories for me. I also think Inception is great_ [11:22]

**Neil**

_i think thats the first time youve spoken about a movie without a ton of music... im impressed_ [11:23]

 _you also missed a period at the end of a sentence for the first time ever_ [11:23]

 _You're an English teacher, how do you let yourself text like that?_ [11:24]

**Neil**

_bc i know you hate it :)_ [11:24]

 _text u later, student walking into officce looking mad_ [11:25]

Will put his phone on the table with a smile, looking up at Shannon. He always felt weird, almost sweaty after a conversation about Neil, or with Neil. It made him uncomfortable when people asked. Yes, the glee kids knew about Neil, they knew that he was a competitor, but it still gave him a heavy feeling when people pointed it out. He didn't know why, so he just smiled through the feeling.

"Alright, so how's the football team doing?"

-

"Mr. Shue, this is _completely unfair_! Finn and I have worked so hard to keep doing duets! Why can't we do one for Invitationals?" Rachel whined, walking into the choir room behind him, the rest of the students giving them a wide berth of space, known to them as the _Rachel-Zone_. Finn looked exasperated, but amused at her behavior. Will wished he could feel that way.

"Because we have so much talent in this room, and other people might want that spot, _especially_ because it's an invitational. You and Finn are always ready to go for competitions, but some people might not be ready for that. It's just an audition, Rachel, you're going to be doing them the rest of your life." She let out a soft 'hmph' sound, but carried on to her regular seat regardless. He sat on his stool, waiting as the rest of his class walked, or rolled, in. 

"Alright, I'm pretty set on us doing at least one duet, and as Rachel and I have just spoken about-" he gave her a look that she returned, a burning ferocity in her eyes "- we'll be auditioning for the spot. If you're interested, partner up, and we'll do auditions in say, half an hour in the auditorium." The class murmured amongst themselves at that, and he sighed, looking out at them.

"Guys, I know it's not a long time, but we don't have a ton of time before Invitationals, and if we want to have three pieces ready, we need to start rehearsing as soon as possible. I'll meet you all there." 

-

Finn looked around the room of people as their teacher walked out, bag in hand. He had been acting weird lately, almost distant from the team, which was so unusual for him. Finn had never met a more dedicated teacher, and no one more dedicated to this club. Rachel was muttering as she looked through her book for sheet music to Suddenly Seymour, and his brother was rooting through one of the bins at the front of the room, Blaine beside him. Quinn sat close to Puck as he stroked his guitar, the two of them humming slightly. Brittany and Santana each had one earbud in, nodding at each other. Finn found himself gravitating towards the middle of the room.

"Guys! Hey!" Rachel shushed everyone as they sat down, or turned to look at him. He took a deep breath.

"Is something weird with Mr. Shue?"

Santana snorted, "yeah, he's probably just upset that he's going to have to give yet another duet to Toucan Sam and the Marshmallow Man." Brittany swatted her shoulder. 

"Yeah, you're right. He's been like, all over his phone lately, and hasn't really been paying attention in class." Mercedes spoke with her hands, and Sam snapped his fingers, rising to his feet.

"Maybe he's waiting on news. News from what, though. Oh my God, what if Mr. Shue is dying and he's waiting for the doctor to text him when he's going to die. Guys, what are we going to do?" Mercedes shook her head at him.

"Honey, no. Sit your ass down." 

Blaine passed Kurt a few sheets of paper before looking back at Finn. He muttered something to Kurt who nodded, before walking away, back to the chairs. Blaine adjusted his bow tie in the way that made Finn angry for no good reason.

"I'll go talk to him." He took a few long strides towards the door before Finn scoffed.

"Why you, dude? You're still a newbie." Blaine turned around to look at him, bushy brows pulled tight together.

"Yeah, well I don't see anyone else volunteering to go. And, despite you not thinking so, I'm actually pretty good with people."

-

Will sat at the God mic, staring blankly ahead at the blackened stage. He had turned his phone onto Do Not Disturb some time ago, as anxiety seemed to wash over him every time he heard his ringtone, or felt the gentle vibration in his pocket. He pulled at the piece of paper in front of him, an old scrap of paper he had taken notes on last week, picking off bits piece by piece, just to get his hands working. He stopped when he heard the familiar sound of leather dress shoes on the floor. Without even looking, he knew it would be Kurt or Blaine, the only students in the school who refused to wear running shoes daily. 

He craned his head back to see Blaine walking in, a soft expression on his face. The boy sat down a few seats away, the loose cardigan shrugged over his shoulders making him look even smaller than he was. He cleared his throat.

"So..." Will chuckled, pulling his body to face Blaine.

"Shouldn't you be out rehearsing for the audition?" The dark haired boy shrugged.

"The song Kurt and I chose we sing, like, every time we're in the car. Or in his room. Or just about any time. He says it's just about the most romantic song he knows." Blaine took a deep breath. "But we're not here to talk about that. What's going on with you, Mr. Shue?" 

"Nothing's going on, Blaine, I'm just stressed about sectionals." Blaine shook his head.

"They're not for another month. If you were just about any other coach, I would believe you. What's really bothering you?" Will shook his head, standing up from his spot. Blaine stood as well, looking up at him with a determined face.

"You've helped us all so much, Mr. Shue. Even if all I can do is listen, I can do that. You're not like-" Blaine waved his hands up and down Will's body "-this. You're not even wearing a vest." Will inhaled deeply, sitting back down. He couldn't vocalize what was bothering him, he didn't truly understand his own feelings. He didn't know why it felt so good to talk to Neil, but so bad. It surely didn't have to do with the New Directions, he wasn't betraying them by talking to him. It just felt wrong, for some reason.

"Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Why?" Blaine was ever so patient, and Will was glad the club sent him instead of someone more straightforward or scatterbrained. 

"I was up late. Talking to someone." Will chewed on his bottom lip, raw and chapped from days of abuse. Blaine leaned forward.

"Is this... who's this someone?"

"That coach, the one who watched Rachel sing last week. We've been talking a lot, we watched each other's favourite movies last night." Will felt the ghost of a smile on his face, Blaine's eyes scanning him. The boy in front of him shifted in his seat again.

"Kurt and I did that at the beginning, too. We would bring DVDs for each other at school, and talk about them the next day." Will felt the blood drain from his face.

"Neil and I aren't you and Kurt." Blaine nodded, looking at his hands.

"I know you're not. But... do you want to be... more than what you are?" Will let his head hit his hands, cupping his own face with sweaty palms. He knew what Blaine meant, but he didn't. Will had never thought of it that way, he had never thought of Neil that way. And yet...

"Blaine, could you tell the other kids we're having auditions at lunch tomorrow instead? I... I think I gotta go home. Thanks." There was a short silence before he heard Blaine get up, the chair closing noisily as he walked away from it. The teenager clapped his shoulder before walking out of the room.

-

There was nothing better than coming home to an empty apartment. Most people his age would disagree, wanting to come home to a wife and kids, or at least a dog, but there was something so relaxing in the stillness of the house, untouched from when he left it this morning. Will dropped his bag on the kitchen table, heading towards the kitchen. He took a Heineken out of the fridge, popping the cap on the magnetic opener on the side of the fridge. He still had some of the cookies Neil had sent him, so he grabbed the plastic container, and made his way to table. He pulled open his laptop, ignoring the missed messages from Neil on Skype. 

With a shuddering breath, Will wrote a sentence that scared him into Google. _Am I gay?_

-

**Neil**

_okay theres no way youre still at school_ [9:02]

 _idk if i did something wrong, but please just let me know ur safe_ [9:17]

 _will_ [9:34]

 _Sorry._ [9:54]

**Neil**

_what the hell happened? are you ok????_ [9:54]

 _I think I'm gay._ [10:01]

**Neil**

_aren't all show choir guys at least a bit gay?_ [10:02]

 _seriously though, are you doing ok with that? kinda a big realization_ [10:02]

 _Honestly I don't know how I'm doing. Call me?_ [10:05]

-

The next day, Will felt like the weight that had rested on his chest had evaporated. Yes, he was yet again, completely exhausted from staying up late, but he felt comfortable. Neil had spoken to him about his own coming out expirence, having been openly bisexual since college, and Will talked about Terri, about a guy he had fooled around with once after the divorce, about how seeing his gay students made him feel. Neil made him feel safe, confident. He hadn't admitted that Neil was the reason he had come to this realization, and he didn't really want to. He walked into the glee room with a pep in his step, and smiled when Blaine gave him a cheeky thumbs up from his spot at the back. 

"Alright guys! Sorry about the change of plans yesterday, I just had something come up. Rachel, Finn, take it away!" Will felt calm for the first time in weeks, watching his students go in duos to audition. Rachel and Finn's Suddenly Seymour was good, but seemed to lack the emotional depth he wanted. Santana and Brittany pulled off an incredible Popular, with Brittany bouncing around, but the song didn't allow for them to truly show off their voices. He was impressed by Quinn and Puck's Light my Candle, but it was so overtly sexual that he had to avert his eyes a few times. There was no way he could subject four other schools to that. Blaine and Kurt performed Come What May, and the song seemed to have been written for their voices, Will knew for certain by the time the boys were halfway through that it would be a perfect ballad to start with, and that he could incorporate some of the better dancers to be in the background to open the performance even more. 

Rachel took the news that she wasn't going to get the duet with Finn surprisingly well, going as far as even hugging Kurt, Finn clapping Blaine on the back. Mike, Sam, Brittany, and Santana were set on working on a dance to do upstage, and the rest of the group went off to find the other two songs, or eat their lunches. It didn't really bother Will that they were taking it slow today, they had a week and a half left before the invitational, and the performance he saw would be enough alone to blow the Warblers and Vocal Adrenaline out of the water, just based on emotion alone. 

He retreated into his office, pulling newly-bought sheet music out of his bag when he heard a gentle knock on the metal door frame. Blaine walked into his office, smile resting on his face.

"How are you?" The boy sat across from him, and Will beamed at him, which seemed to make Blaine relax. The poor boy seemed so stressed, with all the clubs he juggled and his grades, that it made Will happy to see him look at all calm.

"I'm doing... really well, actually." Will nodded at him. "I think I really needed that talking to yesterday." 

"I'm glad I helped. Are you gonna..." Blaine nodded towards the rest of the group, the glass windows of Will's office letting them see the horror of Finn's dance moves. 

"Am I going to..."

"Y'know, come out to everyone else." Will blinked, sitting back in his seat.

"I think so? I don't know." Blaine's hands flung forward, nervously moving about.

"You don't have to come out as soon as you know. Everyone takes their own time. Don't feel like you owe it to everyone."

"You all trust me so much with knowing so much about you, I feel as though I can trust you all with this. I think I need a few days, though." Blaine nodded, standing from his spot. Will watched as he joined his friends, a smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist. God, Will wanted to feel that happy.

-

Thursday's lunch was awkward. Emma sat in silence, scrubbing at the peel of her orange for much longer than she usually would, and Beiste ate her chicken slowly, Sue's judgmental eyes on her from across the table. Though Sue claimed to hate Will, and to a certain extent Shannon, she would occasionally join them for lunch, if only to talk shit and get information on the Glee Club. Still, it was nice to have some spice thrown into their conversation. Will looked down at his phone, the condensation from his sweaty hand covering it in an embarrassing way. 

**Neil**

_youve got this!!! i beleaf in you_ [11:23]

 _they cant like fire you for being gay so ur good!!_ [11:23]

Sue took a deep breath across from him, setting down her protein shake on the table. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, William, what is it? I can see your perm tightening with anxiety."

"That's actually none of your business, Sue."

Shannon wiped her hands on her shorts, and Emma let out a peep from her spot.

"Actually, cowboy, I wanted to say something as well. You've been weird for a couple days, you hit your head on the last bull ride or somethin'?" Shannon had taken him out once again, saying that he needed to loosen up, but whenever she took him out, it resulted in him stealing someone's cowboy hat and going ham on the mechanical bull at Shannon's favourite bar. It was the best way to spend a Saturday night.

"No, it's not that." He wrung his hands out, and Emma slid over a pamphlet. _How to Tell your Friends you have an STD._

"What, Emma? No. God, no." Another one slid across the white plastic. _So You Haven't Had Sex in a Month_.

" _Emma._ " 

"What? We're all here for you!" 

"No, it's just that, um... I'm uh..." Will looked around at his friends. Though he wouldn't admit it to her, he would consider Sue a friend, even after all she had done to him and the Glee kids. She was a nice person really, really, really deep down, and he had caught her doing nice things too many times to count. 

"William, if you're not comfortable with telling us this, you don't have to." Her voice was kind, the way she often spoke to Becky.

"I'm gay." 

"Oh."

" _Oh."_

"Is that really news?" Will's eyes scanned over his friends, gauging their individual reactions. Shannon was nodding, her face soft. Emma had dropped the slice of orange she had been about to eat, her face almost comically surprised. Sue didn't look fazed at all.

"I knew from the second I saw your perm and your vest collection. Seriously, William, how many vests do you own?"" Sue sighed and took a long drink of her protein shake, all eyes on her. "Did you all expect me to judge? My head cheerleader is a teenage lesbian and I married myself. I judge people based on their choices, like William's obnoxious cologne." Shannon wrapped an arm over his shoulders, pulling him into her much larger body.

"Will, buddy, we gotta find you a new bar!" He laughed as she shook his body like a rag doll. Emma seemed to finally sober up, looking down at the small mess she had made. She cringed at it.

"Emma, you good?" She looked up at him, doe-like eyes wide.

"Yeah. Yes, I am good. I'm just a little surprised. What about-what about Terri?" Emma shuffled her food around as Will took a deep breath.

"She was... she was in love with me, and I think I convinced myself that the way I loved her was just how I love." 

"So, um, how do you know? That you... um." She gestured at him, and he chuckled a bit.

"I think I've known for a long time, I just didn't realize until I met someone." Sue stood up abruptly. 

"As much as I love hearing things I could destroy you with in the future, I don't want to know about your sex life. If you'll excuse me, I have to go threaten Figgins to get us swords for regionals." They all watched in silence as Sue made her exit, throwing her protein shaker into the trash as she went. Emma gave Will a tight look as Shannon's arm draped over him once again.

"So, tell us about your man."

-

It wasn't until the following Monday when Will realized how soon Neil would be visiting Ohio. They had been talking so much about the Invitational, where Neil could get his costumes, how large the McKinley stage was, how to set up a proper backtrack, that Will had almost forgot he would actually be meeting the man on Friday. On Friday, he would be able to see the man who inspired him so much, touch him, smell him, bask in his presence. And that terrified Will.

He was excited, obviously, but what if Neil came and Will wasn't what he expected. What if he thought Will was too short or talked too much, or, God forbid, didn't like his vests? He walked into Glee rehearsal jittery, the sound of the dismissal bell ringing in his ears. Five days until Invitationals. Five days until Neil. He could do this.

-

They had never been this prepared for anything, ever. It was embarrassing to admit how under prepared they were for regionals, or even nationals, but his team always had a spontaneous feel to it, and all of the kids seemed to thrive in that type of environment. They had chosen Kurt and Blaine's duet for the opener, followed by an all-girls performance of Waking up in Vegas (which Blaine had forced himself into, saying that if the club performed Katy Perry, he had to be involved), and ending the performance with Stereo Hearts. Will rarely let the kids chose the songs, especially all fairly new songs, but all the performances were strong, so he was happy. 

Santana had basically beat Rachel off with a broom for the longest solo in Waking up in Vegas, and Artie and Finn took the lead in Stereo Hearts, Artie's rapping skills were improving with every song he attempted, his pronunciation almost crystal clear despite his moving around. He broke the rehearsal for a five minute break after their third run through of Stereo Hearts in a row. He would have done a fourth, but Tina looked ready to drop, and Brittany kept getting calls from animal control about her cat. 

He sat down in the first row in the auditorium, warm from attempting to teach Finn any resemblance of choreography. Santana, Kurt, and Blaine made their way over, the two boys waving the fans for the Katy Perry performance at their red faces. Santana looked unaffected by the long rehearsal, her hair and makeup still in impeccable shape. 

"So, we wanted to talk to you, queers to queers." She said the words as though it was casual, and she ignored Will's harsh look at Blaine. 

"How do you know?"

"Oh, me? I have a killer gaydar, Blaine didn't have anything to do with that. He did tell Kurt though, because they're gossip-y old ladies." Kurt gave her a side look and Blaine threw his hands in the air,

"I'm sorry that I can't keep a secret from him, but you know how he is when he knows you're hiding something! I didn't think I was going to get out alive." The taller boy jabbed him in the ribs, before swooping his head to meet Will's eyes.

"The point is that we're here to stage an intervention." Will could feel his eyes growing. An intervention? For him? Yes, in the past people had attempted to get him to stop wearing vests or rapping, but this was unlike those. This was personal.

"For being gay?" Kurt scoffed, and Santana sat down on the edge of the stage.

"No, for not going after this Neil guy."

"There's nothing going on between Neil and I, and if there was, it wouldn't be any of your business." Kurt jumped, clapping his hands excitedly.

"I knew it! You always get all protective when you don't want to admit something." Blaine put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, stilling him. Will sighed, standing up.

"Alright, guys, let's go at this song again." Santana stood right in front of him, the tips of her shoes on the top of his. God, she was intimidating.

"Actually, Mr. Shue, we have a plan. And we're going to need your help with it."

-

Will wrung his hands out for what felt like the millionth time. All the teams were set to arrive at the school around four to have showtime start at six-thirty. The Warblers had come fifteen minutes early, as was usual for a group so put together, and they had already settled into one of the classrooms to get ready, as had Vocal Adrenaline. Aural Intensity's coach had called him, saying that their bus broke down, and they would likely be there closer to five. That only left the question of the Starlights. Will had anxiously been pacing the front of the school for fifteen minutes. Neil had told him he was driving their bus, so he couldn't text when they were close, but it still gave him a giddy feeling to be this close. 

Soft steps padded behind him, and he turned to see Kurt. The young man smiled and sat down on one of the close benches.

"Are you... nervous?" Will turned to face him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so." He chuckled, and shook his head. He knew he had no reason to fret, yet he could feel his heart pounding in his ears. 

"I don't think I've ever seen you nervous before. It's like finding out Santa doesn't exist." Will laughed, and Kurt's face brightened, just for a second. "I think you should turn around, Mr. Shue." He turned to see a yellow bus turning widely into the lot, jerky motions making Will smile. Neil had mentioned he had never driven a bus before. 

Kurt cleared his throat, and adjusted the red ascot tied around his throat. "I'll leave you alone." Will nodded, and Kurt skipped away inside, a squeal from his chest resonating throughout the quiet parking lot. Will watched as students flooded out of the bus, laughing and stretching. He waved his arms at them, trying to get the attention of the crowd.

"Hey guys! If you come through the doors this way, there are arrows to your room and the stage!" The students buzzed out a thanks before heading into the school. A few stragglers were left behind, carrying boxes of props or costumes being handed from the back of the bus. With a sudden burst of confidence, Will ran to the bus. As he approached, Neil was facing backwards, pulling more boxes towards the end. Will admired his ass for a moment too long.

"Can I lend a hand?" Neil whipped around, glasses sliding down his face. A toothy grin stretched across him, and Will, distantly, could hear himself laughing.

" _Will!_ " Neil shook his hands excitedly, and Will took one, pulling the shorter man down onto the ground, black hair bouncing as he landed. He pulled Will tight to him, enveloping the man in the best hug he had ever had. 

-

The two men spoke for a while as their teams prepared, Will showed him around the school, his classroom. It felt familiar, like Neil had already walked beside him, shoulders brushing and quieting laughs. Neil made him feel comfortable in a way he hadn't felt in a long time, if he had ever felt it all all. The shorter man stopped, squinting into one of the glasses cases littering the walls.

"You looked like such a dork back then, oh my God." He laughed, his breath fogging the glass. 

"I look the same as I did back then."

"No, you don't! You have this confidence about you. And the hair is different. I also don't think 1993 Will Schuester would have worn all the vests." Neil reached over and grabbed onto the tweed vest Will sported, his long fingers delicately brushing over his chest. Will sputtered.

"Uh, I think I have to go to show circle, I'll see you after, okay?" Will left before Neil could answer.

-

The show went smoothly, at least, as smoothly as it could go with all the history between the teams, excluding The Starlights. Aural Intensity's coach stood up and looked towards Will, giving him a curt nod as her team was getting ready to perform their last song. Will tapped Rachel on the shoulder, and the whole line of students shifted out of their seats, running out of the theatre. Neil looked around as some of the Warblers broke off from their team as well, and Will had to hide his smile at the man's confusion when members of his own team peeled out as well. 

After Aural Intensity finished their set, Neil hopped the rows of seats to be near Will.

"Where did everyone go?" He gestured back to the six students that still remained from his team, the kids all looking as confused as he did. Will smiled.

"Give it a second." The house lights stayed dimmed, and Neil nestled back in the seat as the stage lights came on in an array of orange and pink. Students from New Directions, The Warblers, Starlights, and a few Aural Intensity stragglers all stood on the stage in various shades of pink and red, their backs towards the audience. A sudden trill of music started, and the group broke into _I Wanna Dance With Somebody_. The choreography looked rushed, misplaced at times, and though the group's harmony wasn't great, the energy the kids had was explosive. Will pulled Neil out of his seat, the darker man giddy, dragging him towards the stage. Will flung Neil around on the stage, both laughing. 

The song seemed to go on forever, and Will forgot that people were watching. Forgot that people were singing here, for them. Santana really was a genius and had spoken to Blaine to get the Warblers involved. She had tracked down the leader of both Aural Intensity and The Starlights, somehow convincing groups of students from each school to get on board to learn the song and dance in mere days, and had told WIll to keep Neil busy with a tour of the school as they rehearsed it as a whole before the show. 

Neil stumbled as the song came to an end, students crowding around them with some of the biggest stage smiles and wildest jazz hands Will had ever seen. He pulled Neil close so he wouldn't fall, and his breath hitched as he looked down at the man. 

"So, uh..." Neil shook his head, grinning.

"You're an idiot, you know that? You could've just asked me out."

"That's boring."

"Kiss me."

Will didn't need to be told twice.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! if you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a kudo or a comment below!


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